Sarawak Malaysia Online

Sarawak, one of Malaysian states on the island of Borneo neighbouring Sabah is located on the north west of the island. Famously known as Bumi Kenyalang (it means Land of the Hornbills), it is the largest state in the country. Sarawak’s capital, Kuching has a population of over 600,000 that comes from plenty of ethnic groups namely Dayak Iban, Chinese, Malay, Melanau, Bidayuh, Penan, Kelabit and Kenyah.

Other major cities of Sarawak including Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. Similar to Sabah, this state has no ethnic majority and thus, making it a rich multicultural state. The state is divided into several administrative divisions including Sibu, Miri, Limbang, Kapit, Kuching, Sri Aman, Mukah, Betong, Bintulu and Sarikei.

Sarawak’s history can be traced back when James Brooke arrived in the state. Prior to the arrival of Brooke, the state was under Brunei Sultanate administration. In 19th century, under control of Pangeran Indera Mahkota, the state was in chaos. The then Burnei Sultan, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II gave out his orders to Pangeran Muda Hashim to settle the chaos.

When Brooke arrived in Sarawak, he refused assistance when Hashim requested for it. Several years later, when Brooke went to Sarawak for a second visit, he agreed to help out to restore the state, which was then already in poor condition.

As a result, Hashim signed a treaty in 1841 to hand-over Sarawak and Sinian to Brooke. In addition to that, Hashim also promoted James Brooke as the Governor. Brooke took the advantage to establish White Rajah Dynasty of Sarawak and extended his administration with Brunei Sultanate when he finally became Rajah of Sarawak.

White Rajah Dynasty under Brooke’s administration ruled the state for more than a hundred years. Over the years, the administration provided assistance to protect the rights of indigenous population against exploitation. Besides that, they have also enlisted Ibans and a majority of other ethnic groups as a contingent militia. When Chinese immigrants decided to settle down in the state, the administration discouraged them from migrating to outside of town in order to minimize impact on Dayak traditional lifestyle.

Demographics

Sarawak, a rich multicultural state in Malaysia has over 40 sub-ethnic groups with their own distinctive lifestyle, culture and language. Overall, cities and larger towns are populated by Malays, Chinese, Melanaus and also minority of Iban, Bidayuh and Melanau. Minority groups as mentioned above migrated to larger towns for employment reasons. Bear in mind that only small percentage of Indians are residing in the state.

Dayak Iban made up the largest percentage of Sarawak’s population (about 30 percent from the grand total). As a matter of fact, Ibans are generous and hospitable even though they were once the famous headhunters on Borneo island. They have a long history of being cruel and harsh pirates and fishermen. Thus, citizens used to brand them as ‘Sea Dayaks’. This ethnic group is famous for several aspects – traditional Iban weavings, beadwork and unique wodden carvings. During major occasions, they will serve tuak (sweet rice wine) to celebrate the festive seasons.

The second largest group in Sarawak – Chinese used to control the state’s economy. Today, they made up to 26 percent of Sarawak population. The first few Chinese of Hakka descendents were hired to work as labourers in gold mines. With the assistance provided by their own clan associations, most Chinese managed to venture into business sectors and thus, they are the most prosperous ethnic groups in Sarawak today.

Malays in Sarawak made up to 21 percent of the total population. They are famous for the craftsmanship of wood carvings and brass craftings passed down from generation to generation. Other ethnic groups in Sarawak including Melanau, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Kayan, Lun Bawang, Kelabit, Kenyah, Penan and Chebob.

Sarawak Festivals

Since Sarawak is a rich multicultural state, it has been branded as one of the top tourism destinations in the country. There are plenty of festivals celebrated annually in the state. Perhaps, one of the most popular event is The Rainforest World Music Festival.

This is an annual 3-day music festival with a diversity of world music held in Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak. Among some of the activities featured are evening concerts, crafts and cultural displays and also daytime music workshops. Visitors get to watch world class performance by Joey Ayala (Phillipines), Te Vaka (Samoa), Namgar (Mongolia), Tarika Be (Madagascar) and plenty more. The festival was founded by a Canadian music instrumentalist, Randy Raine-Reusch.

Other events of the year including the spectacular water sports event – Sarawak Regatta. It has always been a premier event that displays historical and cultural elements. First held in 1872, the event features a series of interesting activities namely dragon boats, traditional longboats, climbing greasing poles and also pillow fights. This grand affair is one of the major event to encourage foreign tourist to visit Sarawak.

Another fascinating event of the year – Miri International Jazz Festival aims to be the leading tourism driven music festival in the region. Featuring Miri as a city of cosmopolitanism and relaxing lifestyle with the organization of such grand event, the festival has featured performance from Alamode (Australia), Bombay Baja Brass Band (UK), Dites 34 (France), Double Take (Malaysia) and plenty more.

Other colourful events including Kuching Festival and Gawai Festival. The festival is organized annually every August featuring a series of stage shows, concerts, nightly exhibitions and competitions. First organized in April 1986, the festival aims to promote Sarawak’s culture and arts.